Unwrapping Mr. Wright

“Uh, gee,” Justin said, kicking himself for how lame that sounded. Here he was, as gawky as a teenager instead of the suave businessman he’d become.

Lauren smiled suddenly, and Justin’s gut clenched. He gulped some coffee, the hot liquid burning his tongue because he drank it too fast. His only reward was that she hadn’t noticed his painful wince.

“You know, perhaps you’re not all of what your playboy reputation or your brutish office mannerisms make you out to be. It’s sweet of you to offer. Really, no offense meant, but I’ll handle this situation my way.”

Playboy rep? Brutish office mannerisms? Okay, he could live with that. He was a bit forceful. However, he was not a playboy, and hearing the word, especially from Lauren’s lips, stung. His going without sex for a year had been a conscious choice—that of a man who didn’t need to keep his bed warm just so he could rut. “Okay, then. I just thought I could give you some tips, help you somehow. To compensate for last night.”

“I understand, and it’s a generous gesture. But I’ll deal with Jeff in my own time. What I’d like from you is just your sworn secrecy.”

“My lips are sealed,” Justin said. He enjoyed some morbid satisfaction that Lauren’s brown eyes darkened. After all, as he took another sip of the burning, biting black coffee, chivalry sucked.

“You look great, Lauren. I like your hair. You’ll have to tell me later where you went.”

“Thanks, Sylvia,” Lauren said as she passed Justin’s secretary’s desk. “I promise to tell you. But remind me.”

“I’ll hold you to that. I’m sure you’re a bit behind after yesterday.”

“That I am,” Lauren said, rounding the corner and putting space between her body and Justin’s office. Moments after he’d cracked that “lips are sealed” comment, she’d voiced her excuses and fled.

She didn’t ever want to remember or think about Justin’s lips in any context. She’d been trying to erase the memory of those spectacular kisses ever since they’d happened.

As for accepting his help, the farther away from him she stayed, the better. Justin Wright raised dangerous sensations in her. She couldn’t trust dangerous sensations. They’d gotten her in trouble once before, with Mike. She’d thought he’d changed his playboy ways, until three months after moving in with him she’d discovered another woman’s panties in her bed. Thankfully, she hadn’t joined bank accounts the way Mike had been pressing her to do.

Justin had some of the same playboy manner. She’d seen him run through women, although she had to admit she hadn’t seen him run through any lately. But then, he wasn’t at Jeff’s as often as he had been in the past.

Too bad he’d chosen last night to be there. And he had kissed her. Dream or no dream, that wasn’t an excuse. That was why she liked Jeff. Jeff, who was nice, safe and secure, not a playboy like his brother. That was what she envisioned for her future. Wasn’t it?

For a moment, her head clouded and she wasn’t sure. She shook her head and cleared her thoughts. Outside her window a man was parking his nice family sedan and entering the neighboring building. That was what Jeff was. A family sedan. Dependable. Reliable. They just needed to add some speed to their relationship. She didn’t desire another Mike and all his idle promises.

She pressed a finger to her lips. Justin Wright, despite his tantalizing touch, was wrong for her. All wrong.

And she had too much work to do to worry about him anymore. Giving herself a nod of encouragement, she pushed his memory away.

Chapter 4

“So, did you miss me?” Jeff’s infectious grin widened, and despite her earlier misgivings about what would happen upon seeing him again, Lauren smiled right back.

She pointed to the huge basket of laundry he carried in his arms. “I don’t think I missed you that much.”

Jeff’s grin turned sheepish. “Nah, probably not, but to make up for it, I’ll buy the Chinese food that’s on its way.”

“Ooh, sold,” Lauren said. She opened her front door wider, the cold air coming to swirl around her bare feet. In a moment she’d put her cow slippers on. “I guess you can come in.”

“Thanks.” Jeff bumped Lauren’s Christmas wreath as he entered the condo and made his way to her laundry closet. She straightened the wreath out and closed the door. “You know, one of these days I will buy a washer and dryer,” he called back over his shoulder.

“You keep promising,” Lauren said as she followed him into her kitchen.

Jeff set the laundry basket on the kitchen table. “No, not promising, just saying. There’s a difference.”

“Yeah, which is why you’re always here with your laundry basket.”

He pulled open the double doors that concealed the washer and dryer. “Oh, come on. It’s your wonderful company.”

“I just live closer than your mother,” Lauren said. “And she’d harp on you about finding a wife.”

“True,” Jeff acknowledged. “You’re cuter than my mom, too.” He opened the washing-machine lid, turned around and squinted for a moment. “Did you do something with your hair?”

“I had it cut and colored.”

“Looks good,” Jeff said as he dumped the basket out onto the table. “So was that the surprise?”

As if he’d really noticed, Lauren thought. He’d hardly glanced at her hair. But then, why should he? She was only a pal. She sighed, but as he sorted his whites from his darks, Jeff didn’t notice her resignation. “That was the surprise,” she said.

“Cool. So, did you catch the game Monday night?” Jeff asked.

“No,” Lauren said quickly.

Jeff paused from loading the dark clothes into the washer. His eyes narrowed. “I don’t believe it. You missed Monday Night Football? What happened? That’s unreal.”

Lauren thought quickly. “Yeah, I know. But my mom wanted some help putting up her Christmas tree. And since you were out of town…”

“Too bad. You missed a great game. Even listening to the game being streamed live over the Internet was better than nothing.” The image of domestic bachelor bliss, Jeff poured liquid soap into the washer. “At least Justin fed my cat. Seen much of him lately?”

“Your cat?”

“Ha-ha. You’ve become a joker since I left for Buffalo. I meant my brother.”

“Just at work,” Lauren replied.

“He didn’t have any parties, no hot babes all over the place?”

Not unless she’d now be considered a hot babe. And of course he’d stopped before “having” her. “No. It was pretty quiet. I didn’t even notice he was there.”

Superstition had her crossing her fingers behind her back just to be on the safe side.

Jeff shook his head in disbelief as he turned the washer on. “The boy must be slipping. He hasn’t dated anyone serious in quite a while. A year, I think. Rather unlike him. Perhaps I should sign him up for one of those dating services, like that ‘just lunch’ one. Or force him to place a personal ad or something the way we did Jared. I’ll have to mull it over.”

“Maybe he’s finally maturing.”

“Nah, his babe-of-the-month-club subscription probably expired,” Jeff said. He pressed Start and the washer began filling. “It is Christmas. Maybe I’ll get him another one. Hmm. Think that’s a good idea?”

Lauren didn’t want to talk about Justin or his legion of past women. She avoided the question by changing the subject. “So, how was your mother’s birthday party?”

Jeff tossed the whites back into the laundry basket. “Good. She loved her gifts and hounded us to get married so that we can give her grandbabies. She said cats and computers don’t cut it.”

“That would be your mom.” Lauren had met Mrs. Wright on quite a few occasions when she’d visited Jeff.

“She’s definitely got a mind of her own,” Jeff said. “She keeps telling us she wants granddaughters. I think she’s tired of being surrounded by all boys at family gatherings. Justin and I are hoping that Jared will take the heat off.” Jeff paused as a knock sounded on Lauren’s front door. “Come on in,” he called.